Method and apparatus for selecting checks



Allril 29, 1930. H. E. wuRzBAcH Er AL I 'ETHOD AND APFRATUS FOR SELECTING CHECKS Filed Nv. 22.l 1928 una ORNE

` IN VEN TORS AfA/qb f, Warzbar/f fi A' Patented Apr. v 29, 1930 UNiTEDsTATEs PATIENT OFFICE HUGH E wUEzBACH AND LESLIE H. wAnswOnTH, OE MAGNA, UTAH, .AssIGNoEs' To SELECTOR CORPORATION, OE sALT LAKE CITY, UTAHA CORPORATION or UTAH METHOD AND APPAHATUs EOE sELECTING CHECKS Application led November 22, 1928.- 'Serial No. 321,238.

This invention relates to the' selection of checks having certain properties from other checks of ,diiferentpropertie'a particularly for the purpose of permitting operation of vending machines, change delivering machines, weighing scales, or other coin-controlled or check-controlled apparatus only v by'means of proper coins or checks possessing certain properties and having a cert-ain definite value and preventing operation of such apparatus by any coins or checks not possessing such properties. The invention may also beA used, however, in 'any case i'n which it is desired to selectively separate checks according to differences in properties thereof. The term check isintended to include any coin, slug or disc of metal or other material.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel check selecting method' I. causing selection of the checks in accordance with the combined e'ect of the electrical properties and resilience thereof, whereby -checks having certain'properties of electrical conductivity and resilience will be deliv-l ered separately from checks differing therefrom in one or both o f such properties.

In our co-pending application Ser. No.

' 250,036-we have described and claimed a check selecting method and apparatus which is also based on the 'combined effect of the electrical conductivity and resilience of the check. According tothe invention covered in'said other application, the check is first caused to roll in an inclined passage through 'a zone of magnetic flux, and is subsequentlyl delivered from said passage in a direction vother than vertical and permitted to fall freely through space under the combined inunce of its forward velocity or momentum and the actionofA gravity, so ythat any re! tardation ofthe check upon passing through the zone of magnetic ux, due to the induction of eddy currents therein, reduces the velocity at which the check is delivered from the passage and hence effects the trajectory thereof. Accordingto said other invention, checks following a certain trajectory, upon delivery from the passage, are caused to strike upon impact means and to rebound therefrom in paths determined by their position and velocity of impact and by the .resilience of the checks, and checks striking said impact means at a certain position and velocity and possessing such resilience as to cause them to rebound in a certain path are selected and delivered separately from those checks which strike said impact means but fail to rebound in said certain path either because of an improper position or velocity of impact or because of improper resilience, as well as from those checks whose trajectories differ suiiciently from the trajectory of a check having the desired properties to cause them to fail entirely to strike said impact means. The present invention is similar in principle to that abovedescribed, in that the check is rst passed through a magnetic iux so as to cause the velocity thereof to be influenced'in accordance with its electrical conductivity, by reason of the induction of eddy currents therein, and is thereafter caused to strike and rebound from impact means, and is selected and separately delivered in accordance with the path in which it rebounds.

The present invention, however, is dist-ine I guished from that covered in our co-pending application above mentioned, in that the ,y

magnetic flux, and is thereafter caused `to strllre the impact means while still moving vertically downward at a velocity dependent upon the retardation effected by passing velocity of'impact and upon the resilience of -the check. Checks which are thus caused to follow a certain path\a fter rebound are selected'and delivered separatel from checks following other paths either v reason-*ofla -check is caused to fall vertically through the v all the checks are caused to strike the impact means in substantially the same position, and

the yretardation in velocity of the check in accordance 'with thel electrical conductivity thereof, upon passing through the magnetic iux, affects only the velocity of impact. The selective action, therefore, is dependent upon the combined effect of the velocity of impact, determined by the electrical conductivity of the check, and of the resilience thereof.

It is to be understood that the above mentioned retardation of the check upon passing through the/ magnetic flux is not dependent upon the magnetic properties of the check, but upon the electrical properties thereof, and in fact the strength and concentration of the magnetic iux necessarily employed by us for this purpose is such that if a check lof paramagnetic material, such as iron, were permitted to passtherethrough, its motion would be completel arrested and it would be attracted to and eld by one of the poles of the magnet used 'to create such flux, thus clogging the machine. We, therefore, also Aprovide for previously rejecting or diverting from the check-conducting passage all checks of paramagnetimmaterial before the same reach said zone of intensemagnetic flux so as to prevent clogging of the 4passage at that point which would otherwise result. v

Our invention is, therefore, to be distinguished from an apparatus heretofore proposed, in which the check, without any previous separation or selective action, is caused to fall vertically past a relatively weak magnet disposed at one of the check'conducting passages so as to somewhat retard the motion of paramagnetic checks, without entirely arl resting the same, and in which the checkis subsequently caused to fall vertically upon and rebound from an inclined impact mem-y ber and to be selectedin accordance with its path of rebound. In said heretofore proposed apparatus the velocity of the check is affected in accordance with its magnetic properties only' and not its electrical properties. As above stated, we have found that if the magnetic flux be of sufficient strength to materially affect the velocity of the checkk in accordancewith its electrical properties a check of -paramagnetic -material is completely arrested thereby, so as to clog the passage at this point. Conversely, therefore, a magnetic iuX designed to merely retard, withoutactually arresting, checks of paramagnetic material, is necessarily so weak as to have no appreciableelfect upon the velocity therein. I l v As stated above, o ur invention also includes the rejection or separation of paramagnetic checks before the same reach'the zone of-intense magnetic ux, 'and comprises certain of the check by induction of eddy currents novel means for e'ecting the separation of such paramagnetic checks.

The invention also comprises novel and advantageous means for causing the check to enter the Zone of intense magnetic lflux at substantially a definite downward velocity, regardless of the manner4 in which the check is introduced into the apparatus, so as to prevent the operation from being affected by any one attempting to Hip or forcibly insert a coin into the machine at high velocity.

rlhe accompanying drawings illustrate a selective apparatus embodying the essential features of our invention and referring thereto:

F ig.y 1 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof. i Fig.- 2 is a horizontal section of ,the means for creating the zone of intensed magnetic linx, taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

F F ig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 in Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a 'coin chute indicated Vat 1 consisting of two side plates or walls 2 spaced yapart by spacing strips 3 of sufficientl thickness to permit passage of checks of the desired size passage. 6, and a passage 8 for receiving checks of paramagnetic material diverted from the main check conducting passage and delivered thereinto as hereinafter described.

rThe means for-rejecting or diverting paramagnetic checks from the main check conducting passage may comprise a permanent magnet 11 having an iron or steel p'ole piece 12 mounted in position below the lower edge of passage 4, for example as shown.r` Shields 13 of brass or other material of low magnetic permeability are preferably provided above and below the pole piece 12, the functionsof these shields being hereinafter explained. A curved or rounded shoulderv 1.6 is provided opposite the lower end of the passage 4, so that-checks inserted in saidpassage, upon-en- 'gaging'said shoulder, will rebound and strike the inner end or face v17 of pole piece l2, which is also vpreferably rounded or concave as shown. The bottom edge-of the check conducting passage slopes downwardlyin both directions from a point ofdivi'sion 18 which"y is located below and somewhat beyond inner face of pole piece 12, so that checks striking the curved face 17 of said pole piece and rev bounding -freely therefrom without being held by said magnet will always fall to the right of said point of division and pass on downwardly through passage 6 to the vertical passage 7, while checks of paramagnetic material will behave in a different manner as hereinafter described and will be delivered into passage 8.

At a suitable point in the vertical passage 7, means are provided for creating an intense magnetic iiux across a small portion of such passage, such means comprising, for example, one or more magnets, which may be either permaent magnets or electro-magnets, disposed .in position to concentrate the magnetic lux produced thereby across said passage. For example, as shown, such magnetic means may comprise two permanent horseshoe magnets 21 and 22 having their like poles disposed at the same sides of passage 7 and secured in position in contact with common pole pieces 23 and 24, the two north\poles being, for example, secured in contact with pole piece 23 and the two south poles in contact with poles 24. .Said pole pieces are preferably provided with means .for concentrating the magnetic flux therebetween across a limited l zone or portion of passage 7 of materially less area than the checks which are to be passed therethrough, so `as to concentrate all of the flux through a limited portion of the check at any one instant during the movement of the check ,therethrough. Such flux concentrating means may comprise, for example.

L-shaped extension members 26 and 27 formed on or securedto the respective pole pieces, the inner ends of said extension members projecting through the side walls 2 as shown and being substantially flush with the inner faces of said side walls, so as to leave a gap therebetween just suiiicient to permit passage ofthe check, and thus produce a maximum intensity of magnetic flux through a-small portion of the check, so as to exert the maximum effect thereon.

Directly below the lower end of chute 7 and spaced sufficiently/from the lower end of said chute to permit freerebound of checks therefrom, is provided an impact member or block 29 whose upper or impact face 31 is inclined vat a suitable angle between the vertical and theI horizontal, so as to cause checks striking ,the same to rebound therefrom, in a non-vertical direction to 'one side or the other depending upon the direction of inclination of said impact face. The checks after leaving passage 7 and following their reboundfrom `impact face 31 may be guided between the side plates 32 which are spaced apart suliicientlyto permit free movement of the checks therebetween while restraining said checks from substantial lateral departure or deviation.

Means are also provided for yseparat-ing the checks/according to the paths followed thereby after rebound from impact face 31. Such means ma lcomprise for example, a sharp edged de ectin' or separating member 33 which is space from impact member 31 in the direction of rebound of the checks, so that checks rebounding but slightly, as indicated for example at E, will fail to pass over said deiecting member, while checks undergoing a greater rebound, as indicated for example at F, will pass beyond said deflecting member, and two chutes or passages 34 and 36 for receiving respectively the checks falling short of and the checks passing over said deflecting or separating member. The respective chutes or passage meansA 34 and 36 may lead to any suitable point for disposition of the checks received thereby. For example the chute 36 may be adapted to deliver checks for operation of any desired check controlled mechanism, such as a vending machine` change delivering machine, scale or the like, while the 'chute 34 may be adapted to either return the checks received thereby to the I person by whom they were inserted or to deliver the same to a suitable receptacle.

The operation of the check selecting means above described is as follows: A check inserted through opening 5 will roll downwardly in passage 2 and strike shoulder 16, rebounding againstthe inner face 17 of the magnetized pole piece 12. A check of paramagnetic material such as iron is prevented by shield 13 from being appreciably retarded by the magnetic attraction of said pole piece' in its movement downwardly in passage 4. If this shield were not provided, such a check,and particularly a check consisting partly of paramagnetic material might be retarded sulliciently by the magnetic attraction of said pole piece to cause it to fail to strike shoulder 16, in which event it might v,fall to the right of the point tof division 18 and move on downwardly in passages 6 and 7. The effect of this upper shield therefore is to substantially prevent retardation of paramagnetic checks at which point, so as to cause all checks to follow substantiall the path indicated by the arrow A and stri e-shoulder 16 with suicient force to cause the same to rebound as indicated by the arrow at B` and strike face 17. All checks are thus @brought into intimate contact with the mgnetized pole piece 12, and

checks of paramagnetic material, such as iron, are'attracted thereto with suflicient strength to prevent free' rebound therefrom.

The magnetic attraction of pole piece 12,-

magnetic attraction of said pole piece is nol longer suiiicient to support the weight of the check, whereupon it will Ifall into passage 8. Regardless, however, of the exact point at `which the magnetically attracted checks are Y released and allowed to fall, they always fall to the left of the point of division 18, so as to insure delivery thereof into passage 8. rThe paramagnetic checks thus rejected and diverted, may he delivered through passage 8 to any suitable receptacle, or may be returned to the person attempting to operate the machine..

Checks which are not sufficiently paramagnetic 4to be' rejected in this manner roll downwardly throughthe passage 6, and due to the slight downward inclination thereof, the checks are necessarily delivered to the upper end of passage 7 with but a very slight downward velocity or momentum, so that any such check will start to fall through passage 7 at substantially the same velocity regard-v less of the velocity at which it may be inserted in the opening 5. The mode of operationof the selecting means is, therefore, substantially unadected by the velocity of insertion of the check.

In falling vertically through the zone of magnetic iux between the extension members 26 and 27 of the magnet pole pieces, various portions of the check are subjected to varying magnetic ux, so that the motion of the check results in the induction of stray or eddy currents therein, which in turn exert -a retarding eect upon the check, the magnitude ofthe retardation being dependent upon the amount of such inductive action and hence upon the electrical conductivity of the check,

- so that checks of relatively high electrica-l conductivity will be retarded to a materially greater extent than checks of relatively low conductivity. It should be pointed out at this point thatthis retardation is not dedependent upon magnetic attraction between the check and t-he magnet-ized members 26 and 27, for checks of paramagnetic material are eritirely prevented from reaching the passage The checks, therefore, leave the lower end of'passage 7 in a vertical direction and with a downward velo'city dependent upon their electrical conductivity, and while continuing to fall vertically, strike the inclined impact face 31 and rebound therefrom. .The velocity, and hence the path, of rebound of each check depends not only upon its velocity of impact, but also upon its resilience. In the ively lower than other checks of substantially equal resilience and whose resilience is lrelatively greater than othervvchecks of substantially equal electrical conductivity. The checks are thus selectively se arated according to'the combined effects o their electrical conductivity and resilience and are delivered either through chute 36 or through chute 34. 'llhese two passages are shown in the pressent instance as crossing one another below the defiecting member 33 and are therefore sloped or inclined laterally in opposite directions suhiciently to permit such crossing, but it will be understood, of course, that the crossing of the chutes in this manner is not essential to the invention, as said chutes may extend in any desired directions. Furthermore, in some cases, the checks received in chute 34 may be delivered to e'ect operation of chute controlled mechanism and the checks received 'by chute 36 may be returned to the instead of the reverse arrangement asabove stated.. ln this connection it will be understood that if the selecting apparatus is employed in conjunction with check controlled mechanism, for the purpose of permitting operation of said mechanism only by certain proper checks having certain properties, then chute 36 will be connected to deliverV checks to said check-controlled mechanism if the proper checks possess such properties of electrical. conductivity and resilience as to cause them to rebound sufficiently to enter said chute, while chute 34 will be connected in this manner if the properties of the proper checks are such as to cause them to have only sumcient rebound to enter this last named chute.

lt is evident that, if desired, two deecting or separating means may be provided, for intercepting and separately delivering checks undergoing either greater or less than a certain desired rebound, and permitting delivery, to the check controlled mechanism or other point, of only those checks which rebound substantially in a certain intermediate.

path. For example; in the apparatus shown the resilience of the checks, and separating checks rebounding in a certain path from checks rebounding'in other paths.

2. In an apparatus for selecting checks, means defining a downwardly inclined check conducting passage, a shoulder opposite the lower end of said passage, the bottom of said passage being open so as to permit checks striking said shoulder to rebound therefrom, a magnetized member in position to be hit by checks rebounding from said shoulder,

whereby checks of paramagnetic material will be attracted by said magnetized member and prevented from rebounding therefrom while other checks will rebound therefrom, said magnetized member being so mounted as to permit checks attracted thereto to fall by their own weight' and release themselves therefrom,l and means for separately delivering checks rebounding from said magnetized member and checks attracted by said magnetized member and subsequently released therefrom.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, and comprising in addition a downwardly tapered shield of material having low magnetic perv meability placed directly below said mag- 'netized member so that checks held by said magnetized member and falling by gravity arev caused to pass beneath said shield and are thus separated from said magnetized v member and released.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 20th day of November, 1928. i t

HUGH E. WURZBACH. LESLIE H. WADSWORTH. 

